Welding and welded joint



Feb. 7, 1939. H. c. LOCKWOOD WELDING AND WELDED JOINT Filed Feb. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l Elli/III!!! H m/er C. LOCKM/OOD ATTORNEY.

Feb. 7, 1939. H. c LQCKWQOD 2,145,937

WELDING AND WELDED JOINT Filed Feb. 12, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R INVENTOR.

I 77 HENRY G Loam/000 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 7, 1939. H c LOCKWOOD 2,145,937

WELDING AND WELDED JOINT Filed Feb. 12, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

HENRY C. Loam/000 BY M fin /W ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELDING AND WELDED JOINT Henry C. Lockwood, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Isabel Tyte Lockwood, administratrlx of said Henry 0.

Lockwood, deceased This invention relates to welding and to welded joints. I

The invention provides novel methods of welding thin gauge metal plates or parts to other metallic plates or parts of any thickness to produce novel welded joints having great mechanical strength and pressure tightness.

In the fabrication of articles or structures employing thin gauge sheet metal, it is often desirable to weld sections of thin metal to each other or to heavier gauge metal sections in various combinations. In all such cases, mechanical strength of the welded joints is requisite and in many cases fluid pressure tightness is also necessary. With thin gauges of metal, the slightest application of welding heat, in attempts at welding, melts the heated parts almost instantly and the molten metal flows away from the source of heat like water. The overheated portion of the thin sheets 29 nearest the heat source disappears and is lost through vaporization: the balance of the melted portion flows backwards and balls up on the receded edge. The thin sheets are insecurely stuck together here and there on a ragged edge 25 but no true, dependable weld is obtained and if the sheets are followed up in an attempt to secure a better weld. the metal disappears from in front of the advancing source of welding heat indefinitely. This is especially true with electric are 30 welding since the thin sheets must carry the welding current and since the heat application is more intense in electric welding. Welding of thin gauge sheets has thus heretofore been a failure first because it has been impossible to produce any- 35 thing but a burned, irregular series of tack welds and second because it has been impossible to obtain position control, i. e., to place the weld where and only where wanted. In attempts to weld thin gauge metal to heavier gauge metal, much greater 40 difliculties are encountered because of the effect of differences in mass upon heat application. With electric arc welding, the minimum thickness of metal sheet which can be successfully welded to a sheet of equal thickness is about and with gas welding, the minimum thickness is about 3%" but with both of these methods of welding and with these thicknesses of metal, the welds are accomplished with difficulty and the results 50 are not wholly satisfactory. At best, the welds are uneven and the sheets become greatly distorted.

In accordance with the present invention, thin metal sheets of any gauge may be readily welded 5 to other metal sheets or pieces of any thickness to provide welded joints of great mechanical strength and fluid pressure tightness.

The invention will be understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings showing numerous 5 welded joints embodying the invention and also illustrating the methods of welding these joints.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view illustrating one method of welding a thin plate between two 10 heavier plates;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the finished J t;

Figs. 3 to 28 inclusive illustrate methods of welding one or more thin plates to one or more heavier plates and for welding thin plates together in accordance with the invention. In this group of figures, the odd numbered figures illustrate the positions of the parts for the joints prior to welding, and the next higher even numbered flguresshow the finished welded joint in each instance;

Fig. 29 illustrates a method of welding a plurality of thin plates to heavier plates without the deposition of extraneous metal;

Fig. 30 is a partial sectional view of the finished joint welded by the method illustrated in Fig. 29;

Fig. 31 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the method of welding a thin plate to heavier plates by gas welding; 30

Figs. 32 to 35 inclusive illustrate another meth 0d of welding thin plates to heavier plates; and

Fig. 36 is a longitudinal view, half in section and half in elevation, showing an expansion joint having welded joints produced in accordance with 35 the invention.

Like characters of reference refer to like or similar parts throughout the several views.

The method employed utilizes the fact that metal plates or parts of thin gauge readily melt 40 upon the application thereto of welding heat. When thin plates are to be welded together, means are provided for limiting the thin plate volume that is heated and melted and such means also function to limit the movement or flow of the resulting molten metal bead so that the bead will be confined to the desired welding zone and when permitted to cool, the plates will be welded exactly where desired. Where one or more thin plates are to be welded to one or more thicker plates, the thin plate or plates are first positioned with respect to the thick plate or plates so that a controlled portion of the thin plate or plates may be melted in the desired zone of weld. The thick plates will provide a welding groove and I6 serve to restrict the extent to which the thin plates are melted and welded and will also restrict the movement and fix the position of the resulting molten bead. Where only one thick plate is to be welded to a thin plate or plates, additional means are utilized for these purposes. In some instances, a sufficient volume of the thin plate or plates may be melted to provide an adequate welding bead, but in other instances, the deposition of extraneous metal will be necessary to supplement the welding bead produced by the melting of the thin plates. Simultaneous to the time the exposed portions of the thin plate or plates are in the molten state, the surfaces of the thick plates to which they are to be welded, or, as the case may be, the surfaces of the means employed for limiting the extent of melting of the thin plates, are also brought to molten condition in the welding zone, so that upon cooling, all parts are united in a common, integral weld. I

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a thin metal plate In is welded at one end intermediate two thick' In this instance the electric plates H and I2. arc method of welding is employed. The thin plate I0 is first placed between the thick plates II and I2 with their upper ends substantially in alignment. The upper edges of the thick plates are preferably bevelled to provide a V-shaped reservoir or pocket designated l3 which may also be considered as the welding zone. The upper edges of the thick plates in the welding zone may, however, be in alignment or substantially in alignment, if desired. It will be observed that the upper end portion of the thin plate Ill projects into this welding zone. The plates are clamped together in the position shown by any suitable means and grounded to one side of a welding circuit. The welding rod l6, connected to the other side of the welding circuit through its holder and cable, is then preferably applied to the bevelled side of one of the heavy plates somewhat removed from the projecting thin plates ID. This prevents the welding current from passing through the unprotected portion of thin plate. The spot on the surface of .the bevel of the heavy plate to which the welding rod has been applied melts and the molten bead runs down 7 and engulfs the projecting portion of the thin plate, which is thereby melted by indirect heat application and, without burning or other detriment, joins and becomes an integral part of the welding bead. By this method, the thin plate I!) enters the welding bead without any separa tion therefrom. The are is then carried over the thin plate, which is now well protected by a heavy welding bead, to the opposite bevelled side of the other heavy plate and the weld completed for the first pass. The welding head is then progressed in similar fashion by running the are back and forth until the length of the weld is completed. One bead usually suffices, but a second bead may readily be superposed over the first since the thin plate is thoroughly protected by the first bead. The weld thus produced possesses great mechanical strength and is fluid pressure tight.

Figs. 3 and 4 -illustrate the method of welding a thin plate to a single heavy plate and the resulting welded joint, respectively. The thin plate I9 is placed in contact with the heavy plate 20 with their upper ends in approximate alignment. The upper edge of the plate Ml adjacent the thin plate I9 is preferably bevelled as indicated at 2| and this bevelled surface together with what will be termed a welding strip or "welding piece 22 having its upper ledge preferably bevelled as indicated at 23, form a pocket, reservoir or groove 24 for the resulting welding bead. The welding strip 22 should be of sufiiciently heavy gauge metal so that it will not be melted excessively upon the application of the welding heat and should extend in a direction normal to the upper edge of the thin plate IS a suflicient distance to provide a satisfactory joint for the purpose intended. As in the production of the joint illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper end of the thin plate is melted preferably by the indirect application of the heat of a molten welding bead formed on one side on a heavy plate and advanced to the thin plate and thereafter carried to the opposite heavy plate, thereby uniting without separa tion thin plate IS, with the bevelled surfaces 2| and 23 of the heavy plate 20 and welding strip 22 respectively, to provide a joint of great mechanical. strength and fluid pressure tightness.

The joint shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is similar to they joint shown in Fig. 4 with the exception that two thin plates are welded to a heavy plate. The second thin plate is designated 26 and is welded atits upper end to the adjacent thin plate l9 and to'the heavy plate 20.

In Figs..7 and 8 two thin plates 21 and 28 are welded together at their upper ends in accordance with. the invention. Two welding strips 29 and 30 are placed in contact with the upper portions of the opposed outside faces of the thin plates 21 and 28 and the upper edges of the welding strips are preferably bevelled to provide a pocket 3|. The welding bead 32 produced by the melting of the upper ends of the thin platesand the extraneous metal unites with the molten bevelled surfaces of the welding strips to unite securely the upper ends of the thin plates.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate another method by which a thin plate 33 may be welded between two heavier plates 34 and 35. In this instance the upper end of the thin plate is positioned flush with the upper end of one of the heavy plates, as

'34, and the upper end of the other heavy plate 35 is positioned a suitable distance below the upper ends of the other plates to provide a pocket 36 which functions like the pocket I 3 in Fig. 1. With this method, the plates 3| and 35 restrict the extent to which the upper end of the thin plate 33 is melted upon the application of the welding heat as heretofore described and further confine it to the pocket 36. The bead '31 produced by the melting of the upper end of the plate toa single heavy plate as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. In lieu of the plate 35 a welding strip 38 is employed with its upper edge positioned a suitable distance below the upper ends of the plates 33 and 34. The same method may be em ployed to weld two thin plates to a single heavy plate as illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. The additional heavy plate is designated 39.

The same method may be employed to weld two thin plates together as illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16. The thin plates 40 and 4| are placed together with their upper ends in alignment and a welding strip 42 is placed in contact with the 36 to weld the restrict the movement of the welding bead and contact with the outer surface of plate II and with its upper edge disposed a suitable distance below the upper ends of the thin plates. The solidification upon cooling of the resulting welding bead l4 securely welds the plates together to provide a pressure tight joint of great strength.

The joint shown in Figs. 17 and 18 is the reverse of the joint shown in Figs. 11 and 12 in that the upper edge of the thin plate 33 is disposed above the upper end of the thick plate 84 and the welding strip II is placed with its upper edge flush with the upper end of the thin plate. The resulting bead 31 upon cooling securely welds the parts to ether.

The joint shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is the reverse of the joint shown in'Figs. l3 and 14 in that the upper edge of the welding strip II is disposed in alignment with the upper ends of the thin plates 33 and the upper edge of the thick plate 34 is disposed below the upper edges of the thin plates to provide a pocket 45. The cooling of the resulting head 37 securely welds the thin plates to the thick plate and to the welding strip 38 As shown in Figs. 21 and 22 a thin plate is welded to an intermediate portion of a thick plate to provide a so-called lap joint. The thin plate 4! and the heavy plate 41 are placed in contact in overlapping relationship as shown and a welding strip II is placed in contact with the thin plate 40 with its upper edge disposed a suitable distance below the upper edge of the thin plate to provide a pocket or reservoir 49. The welding heat will melt the upper end portion of the thin plate which projects above the upper edge of the welding strip ll and will also cause the deposition of metal from the welding rod and simultaneously will cause the surface of the plate 41 and welding strip II which define the pocket I! to become molten to a slight depth and the cooling of the resulting welding bead 50 will unite the thin plate to the thick plate and to the welding strip.

The same method is employed to weld the joints shown in Figs. 23 and 24 wherein the thin plate I is welded at a different position to the thick plate 52 by the aid of the welding strip 53. The resulting bead 54 upon cooling unites the several parts to provide a pressure tight joint of great strength.

Figs. 25 and 26 illustrate the method of butt welding two thin plates. The thin plates I and 56 are placed in abutting relationhip, a welding strip 51 is placed in contact with the plates so as to overlap the abutting ends of the two plates and welding strips SI and I! are placed in contact with the other faces of the plates in spaced relationship to each other and to the abutting ends of the two plates as shown. The adjacent edges of the strips 58 and is together with the upper surfaces of the welding strip 51 define a. pocket or reservoir Bl which receives the welding bead produced and restricts it to the welding zone. It will be understood that the welding strips further limit the extent to which the thin plates are melted upon the application of the welding heat. The parts are clamped in the position shown in Fig. 25, one of the electrodes is brought into contact with welding strip 51 and the other electrode with the welding current applied is brought into contact with the abutting ends of the thin plates. The heat produced melts the end portions of the thin plates which project into thepocket II and also causes the deposition of metal from the welding rod and simultaneously melts the surface of the welding strips 51, 58 and I! which define the pocket 60. The head 8| resulting unites with the thin plates and the welding strips and upon cooling provides a pressure tight and strong welded joint.

The same method substantially is employed to weld two thin plates in abutting relationshipto a single heavy plate as shown in Figs. 27 and 28. The heavy plate 62 is substituted for the welding strip 51 so that the resulting bead H unites the thin plates to the heavy plate .2 as in the case with the joint shown in Fig. 26.

In the production of the welded joints heretofore described, the welding bead has been composed of metal melted from the adjacent surfaces of the heavy plates, metal melted from the thin plate or plates and metal melted from the welding rod. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this specific method but that welded joints embodying the invention may be produced without the deposition of extraneous metal by providing a sufficient volume of metal which may be melted from the surfaces of the heavy plates and the thin plates to provide an adequate welding bead for the joint desired. It will be understood that this method is applicable to the production ofall joints herein disclosed. This method and the resulting joint is illustrated in Figs. 29 and 30. In these figures three thin paltes I, M and it are placed together with their upper edges in alignment as shown. These thin plates are to be welded between two heavy plates '6 and 81 which preferably have their upper edges bevelled in reverse directions to provide a pocket or reservoir I. The upper edges of the thin plates are placed a sumcient distance above the upper edges of the heavy plates it and 61 so that the melting of the volume of metal which projects through and above the pocket 88 in conjunction with the volume of metal melted from the heavy plates will provide a welding head of the desired volume of metal. The plates are all clamped in the position shown by an electrode 60 and a cooperating clamping plate ll or other suitable means. Employing a nondepositing electrode, such as carbon, the pocket I. is sealed over by manipulating the electrode rod as heretofore set forth whereby the thin plates are incorporated in the welding bead and a continuous and pressure tight joint is formed. 'Ihe cooling of the bead 12 provides a strong pressure tight joint between the thin plates and the welding strips as shown in Fig. 3.

In the production of the welded joints heretofore described, the welding heat has been produced by the electric arc method of welding. It will be understood however that the welding heat may be produced by other methods, such as by gas or chemical action. The gas welding method is illustrated in Fig. 31 to produce a joint of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2. With this method the thin plate I! is to be welded between two heavy plates II and II which preferably have their upper edges bevelled to provide a pocket It. The upper end of the thin plate 13 projects into the pocket It as heretofore described in connection with the joints shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The thin and thick plates are clamped together in the position shown by suitable clamping means 11 and the welding heat is supplied by means of gas discharged from a welding torch or other suitable device I8. The welding method with gas is preferably carried out by procedure equivalent to the procedure followed in electric arc welding. The heating jet from the welding torch is applied to the bevelled surface of one of the heavy plates at a point somewhat removed from the projecting thin plate, thus protecting the thin plate from the direct application of the intense heat from the torch. After this spot on the bevelled surface of the heavy plate has been brought to a. molten condition, the welding rod is introduced and a molten bead built up. This molten bead is then run over the projecting portion of the thin plate which is engulfed, melted and absorbed thereby. The jet from the torch thus far has been applied on the bead on the side away from the thin plate, so as to protect the latter. After the thin plate has been melted and absorbed by the head, it is protected and the welding jet'is then moved over the bead to the opposite grooved surface of the other heavy plate, which is then melted. and' joined to the common bead. The same procedure is carried on, back and forth, until the desired length of weld has been completed. The bead resulting from the melting of the bevelled surfaces of the heavy plates and the upper end of the thin plate and the deposition of the metal from the welding rod I9 unites with the molten bevelled surface of the heavy plates and the thin plate and upon cooling provides a strong pressure tight joint. Satisfactory results can be obtained by .applying welding heat directly to the thin plate or plates, either in electric are or gas welding,

but the protective procedure as heretofore described is preferred.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular types of joint disclosed since the methods of the present invention are applicable to the production of a wide variety of welded joints comprising thin plates or one or more thin plates and one or more heavier or heavy plates. Since those portions of the thin plates which are'disposed in or project into the welding zone are melted in producing the welded joints of this invention, it will be perceived that there is no limit with'respect to the thinness of 4 plates J1 metal pieces which may be welded in accordance with these methods. In other words, thin plates of any gauge may be readily welded to other thin plates of any gauge or may be welded to another or other relatively heavy plates or metal pieces of any gauge.

Figs. 32 to 35 inclusive illustrate a variation in the welding methods heretofore disclosed. As indicated in these figures, one or more protective strips, preferably about in thickness, are utilized and are placed in contact with the thin plates in such position as to isolate and protect the portion thereof in the welding zone. This method is particularly useful when the welding is done with an electric arc" but is also advan tageous with gas or chemical action welding. With the thin plate 01' plates clamped firmly in the welding zone between two protective plates or one protective plate and a heavy plate, the thin plates, so protected, function exactly like a heavy plate and may be readily welded. In this case, the welding heat may be applied directly to the protected portion of the thin plates'in the welding zone in either electric are or gas welding. If desired, however,.the method of first building up a bead on one side of the protected projecting portion of the thin plate or platesand then carrying said head to and over the projecting portion to the other heavy plate as heretofore described may be employed. In some instances, better welds are obtained by this protective plate method. p

The method illustrated in Figs. 32 and 33 is similar to that employed to make the-joint shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except thatprotective strips II and 32 are disposed on oppoflte sides of and in contact with the upper portion of the thin plate 80, with the upper edges of the thin plate and the protective strips in alignment with each other and with the upper bevelled ends of the heavier plates and 84 respectively. With the parts securely clamped in the position shown in Fig. 32, v

. tions ofthe thin plate. an and the protective strips .8! and 82 which project intothewelding zone and also. the surfaces of the bevelled upper ends of they heavier plates 83 and 84 and the cooling of the resulting bead unites all parts as shown 'in' Fig. 33. Extraneous metal mayor may not be deposited, as required. If arc welding is employed, the electrodes should be so positioned that the thin plate does not conduct the welding current. In other words, the electrode is brought into contact with one of the protective strips and the welding heat thus generated is transmitted to the thin plate by conduction, the combination, functioning as a unit. I

As illustrated in Figs. 34 and 35, a joint is pro-- duced which, except for the protective strip, is similar to the joint shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The protective strip 88 is placed in contact with .,one face of the upper portion of the thin plate 81 in alignment with the upper end of the latter and with the Upper end of the heavier plate 89 which isin contact with theother face of the thin plate.

The other heavier plate 90' is placed in contact" with the protective strip and has its upper end placed below the .upper end of the protective strip'to provide-a welding zone or pocket 9|. The welding-heat generated by the are or gas, melts the portions of the thin plate and protective strip which are in the welding zone SI and also meltsthe surfaces of those portions of the heavier plates 89 and 98 which define the welding zone and upon cooling of the bead 92, the several parts are firmly united as shown in Fig. 35,thereby producing a strong and fluid pressure tight joint.

It will be understood that the protective strips may be used in the manner suggested, for the production of any of the joints disclosed in Figs. 1 to 30 inclusive as well as to other joints.

The methods herein disclosed effectively weld stainless steel plates to each other or to one or more heavier plates of stainless or carbon steel.

The method of welding thin plates to heavier plates herein disclosed may be utilized'in the particularly in the securement of the, expansible and 'contractible members to heavy terminal plates. This expansion joint is shown in Fig. 36. The expansible and contractible memberor bellows designated generally I00 consists ofaplu-r rality of thin flat circular plates ill which'are centrally apertured and concentrical with each plate being electric sea cent its outer peripheryto th disposed on one side andelectri welded adjacent its inner periphery tojth adjacent platedisposed on the other side. "Illii production of expansion joints of my invention..

I 03 respectively. The particular method employed is that illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18. Stainless steel plates 0.018" thick are satisfactory for the bellows. Annular welding strips I00 and I05 are utilized in welding the inner peripheral portions of the outermost plates I M to the heavy terminal plates I02 and I03 respectively. Terminal plates I02 and I 03 are welded to Van Stone necks I06 and I0! respectively, which have loose ring flanges I08 and I00 respectively, for securing the joint into a line or otherwise. The joint is provided with an internal sleeve and alignment guide IIO which is welded at one end to the inner cylindrical portion of one of the Van Stone necks, as I01, and with an external sleeve and limit stop III having a plurality of stops H2 in its end portions, which in this instance consist of nuts and bolts. Any suitable form of joint herein. disclosed may be utilized for the joint between the outermost. plates IOI and the terminal plates I02 and I03 in lieu of the particular joints shown in Fig. 36. In lieu of the nuts and bolts I I2, the end portions of the sleeve III may be turned to provide an inwardly directed flange which will engage the terminal plates I02 and I03.

Expansion joints fabricated in this manner are strong and durable and are permanently fluid pressure tight. These joints are fabricated from a small number of parts and the outside diameters of the joints are reduced to a minimum. For example with joints 6" and below, the outside diameter need be only about A" greater than the diameter of the flanges of the joints, except for the very small joints and with joints 8" and above, the outside diameter may be no greater or even less than the diameters of the flanges employed. The economy of manufacture possible with these expansion joints will be readily apparent.

It will be understood that no intention is entertained to limit the invention except by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of welding a thin gauge metallic piece to a heavier gauge metallic piece which comprises placing the pieces in welding position with a protective strip of heavier gauge metal than the thin piece disposed so as to protect the thin piece from direct application of welding heat, applying welding heat to the protective strip to melt a portion of the protective strip in the desired zone of weld and to melt a portion of the thin piece in said zone by heat conducted from the protective strip to the thin strip, incorporating said melted portions in an adequate welding bead while maintaining integral relationship between the thin piece and the protective strip and the welding bead, and uniting in integral relationship the bead and the heavier piece and the protective strip.

2. The method of welding a thin gauge metallic piece to a heavier gauge metallic piece which comprises placing the pieces in welding position with a protective strip of heavier gauge metal than the thin piece disposed in contact with the thin piece in the desired zone of weld, applying welding heat to the protective strip to melt a portion of the protective strip in the desired zone of weld and to simultaneously melt a portion of the thin piece in said zone by heat conducted from the protective strip to the thin strip, incorporating the melted portions in an adequate welding bead while maintaining integral relationship between the thin piece and the protective strip and the welding bead, and uniting in integral relationship the bead and the heavier piece and the protective strip.

3. The method of welding a thin gauge metallic piece to a, heavier gauge metallic piece which comprises placing the pieces in welding position with one face of the thin piece in contact with the heavier piece and with a protective strip of heavier gauge metal than the thin piece in contact with the other face of the thin piece in the desired zone of weld, melting a portion of the protective strip and a portion of the thin piece in the desired zone of weld, incorporating the melted portions in an adequite welding bead while maintaining integral relationship between the thin piece and the protective strip and the welding bead, and uniting in integral relationship the bead and the heavier piece and the protective strip.

4. The method of welding a thin gauge, ordinarily unweldable, metallic piece to a heavier gauge ordinarily weldable metallic piece which comprises placing the pieces in welding position with one or more protectve strips of metal of ordinarily weldable gauge disposed in contact with the thin piece in the desired zone of weld, melting a portion of said one or more protective strips and a portion of the thin piece in the desired zone of weld, incorporating the melted portions in an adequate welding bead while maintaining integral relationship between the thin piece and the protective strip and the welding bead, and uniting in integral relationship the bead and the heavier piece and the protective strip.

5. An article of manufacture including a thin gauge metallic piece welded to a plurality of heavier gauge metallic pieces and to one or more protective strips of heavier gauge metal than the thin piece, the heavier gauge pieces being disposed with respect to the thin piece and to each other to define a welding groove and to form a reservoir for a welding bead and each protective strip being disposed intermediate the thin gauge piece and a heavier gauge piece.

6. The method of welding a thin gauge metallic piece of less than inch thickness to another metallic piece of heavier gauge which comprises placing the thin piece with a peripheral portion in welding relationshp with the heaver piece, placing another metallic piece of heavier gauge than the thin piece in welding relationship with said peripheral portion of the latter, corresponding end portions of the heavier pieces being oppositely disposed with respect to the thin piece and defining a welding groove at least one surface of which is disposed at an angle less than an obtuse angle to a face of the thin gauge piece, the peripheral portion of the thin gauge piece projecting into said groove above said angularly disposed surface, melting substantially the entire portion of the thin piece projecting into said groove and bringing to molten condition the surfaces of the heavier pieces defining said welding groove in the areas adjacent those portions of the thin piece to which welding heat is applied and permitting said melted and molten portions to cool to unite in integral relationship the thin and heavier gauge pieces.

7. The method of welding a plurality of thin gauge metallic pieces to a metallic piece of heavier gauge which comprises placing the thin pieces with their peripheral portions in welding relationship with the heavier piece, placing another metallic piece of heavier gauge than the I faces of-the. heavier pieces thin pieces in welding-relationship with said peripheral portions of the latter,ic orresponding end portions of the heavier pieces ppposite ly disposed with respect to the pieces and defining a welding groove at least one surface of which is disposedat an angle lessf' than an obtuse angle to'a face of at least one of the thin gauge ,pieces, the peripheral "portions of the thin gauge pieces projecting; into said groove above said angularly disposed surface, melting the por tions. of the thinv pieces projecting; toisaid I I 1 1; The method of welding a plurality of thin g ugemetallic pieces to another metallic piece of groove and bringing to'molteh-conditionthe' s groove .inithe areas adjacent 'those, a the thin pieces to whichwelding heat 'D and permitting said melted and molten portions to cool to unite in integral relationship, the thin and heavier gauge pieces."

tegral relationship; the t 8. The method of welding together thin-gauge metallic pieces which comprisesplacing the thin pieces with their; peripheral portions-inweldin'g f' 'heavier relationship with twdmtallic piec s 0 gauge o positelyfdisposed with thin pieces, corresponding end heavier pieces defining afw' one surface, of which 2 is. less than an obtuseflangthin gauge pieces, the perip thin gauge pieces projecting into' 'saidsgroove i above said angularlyf' disposed surface, melting; the portion of the thin piecesprojecting'xinto said groove and bringing o molten condition the surfaces of, the heavierlpiecesdeflnin welding roove in the are amass? to melt the portion of the protective stripdisposed :tion the surfaces of the heavier pieces which deflne' the welding groove in the areas adjacent those portions of the thin piece being melted, and permitting said melted and molten portions to cool to unite in integral relationship the thin and heavier gauge pieces and the protective strip.

avier'gauge which comprises placing the thin ieces with their peripheral portions in welding relationship with the heavier piece, placing I another metallic piece ofheavier gauge than the thimmieces in welding relationship with said ripheral portions oi? the latter, carresponding end portions of the heavier pieces being oppositely disposed with respect to the thin pieces-and defining a welding groove at least one surface of which is disposed at an angle less than an obtuse angle o the faces of the thin gauge pieces, the end por- *-tion of the thin gauge pieces projecting into said :grooveabove said angularly disposed surface, placnsna protective stripof heavier gauge metal than the thin gauge pieces m1 such position as to protect the thinpieces from direct application of welding heat, applying welding heat to the protective strip to melt the portion of the protective strip disposed in the welding groove and the portions of the thin pieces disposed in the groove by heat conducted from the protective strip to the thin pieces, and

applying welding heat to bring to molten condition the surfaces of the heavier pieceswhich define the welding groove in the areas adjacent those portions of the thin pieces being melted,

and permitting said melted and molten portions contiguous and above a heavier gauge metallic" piece extending underthe contiguousenwpor j tions of the thin pieces, placing a heavier gauge metallic piece above each thin-gauge pieceqin spaced relationship with the-end thereof-Stowe welded, said heavier gauge pieces definingaweld ing groove into which the contiguousends-of the thin pieces project, melting the contiguous end portions of the thin gauge pieces disposed in the welding groove and bringing to moltencondition the surfaces of the heavier gauge pieces which define the welding groove and permitting said melted a d molten portions 10. The method of welding a thin gaugeime tallic piece to another-metallic piece of heavier gauge which comprises placing the thin piece with a peripheral portion in welding relationship with the heavier piece, fplaoing' another metallic piece of: heavier gauge flthanl-the thin piece in welding relationship withf 'said peripheral portion a of the latter; correspondin heavier pieces bin'g"opposite spect to the-thin piece'andf groove at leastone surface f' at an angle lless th'; 11

d'portioii'sf'of the.

to'cool to'unite in integral relationship the thin and heavier'gauge pieces and the protective strip.

12. The method of welding a thin gauge metallic pieceto another metallic piece of heavier gauge which comprises placing the thin piece with a peripheral portion in welding relationship with ;.the heavier piece, placing another metallic piece 1 of heavier gauge than the thin piece in welding relationship with said peripheral portion of the latter, corresponding end portions of the heavier pieces being oppositely disposed with respect to the thin piece and defining a welding groove at vleast one surface of whch is disposed at approximately a right angle to a face of the thin gauge piece, the peripheral portion of the thin gauge pieces projecting into said groove above said angularly disposed surface, placing a protective strip of heavier gauge metal than the thin gauge piece in such position as to protect the thinpiece from direct application of welding heat, applying welding heat to the protective strip to ,melt the portion of the protective strip disposed in the welding groove and the portion of the thin piece disposed in the groove by heat conducted from the protective strip tothe thin piece, and applying a welding heat to bring to molten condition the surfaces of the heavierpieces which define the welding roove in the areas adjacent those portions of the dmolten' portions to cool to unite in integral reationship the thin and heavier gauge pieces and e' e'etive strip. 13. A article of manufacture including a thin v, v cause plate of less-than inch thickness intethe thin piece from direct applicationfof weldingheat, applying welding heat to the protective strip 3 emiy'umtd toa heavier gauge plate disposed on hinlpiecebeing melted, and permitting said melted gauge plate disposed on the other side thereof, corresponding end portions of the heavier gauge plates defining a welding groove at least one surface of which is disposed at an angle less than an obtuse angle to a face of the thin gauge plate, the thin plate being positioned relative to the heavier gauge plates so that prior to being united thereto, a peripheral portion of the thin plate projected into said groove above said angularly disposed surface, all of said plates being integrally united by a welding bead consisting at least in part of substantially the entire portion of the thin plate which projected into said groove.

14. An article of manufacture including a plurality of thin gauge plates each of less than inch thickness integrally united to a heavier gauge plate disposed on one side of the thin plates and to another heavier gauge plate disposed on the other side thereof, corresponding end portions of the heavier gauge plates defining a welding groove at least one surface of which is disposed at an angle less than an obtuse angle to a face of one of the thin gauge plates, the thin plates being positioned relative to the heavier gauge plates so that prior to being united thereto, peripheral portions of each of the thin plates projected into said groove above said angularly dis posed surface, all of said plates being integrally united by a welding bead consisting of at least in part of substantially the entire portion of each of the thin plates which projected into said groove.

HENRY C. LOCKWOOD. 

